What are the maximum speeds of the F-22, F-16, B-2, SR-71, and F-18?- question from Chris Snead

The true maximum speeds of most military aircraft remain classified until long after they have been withdrawn from
service, so the information provided on this site and in all other public sources is probably never 100% accurate.
The military and aircraft manufacturers release some information, most likely underestimating the actual
performance by some amount. In case of foreign aircraft, the results we provide are often estimated based on
similar aircraft and the current perceived technological state of the nation where the aircraft was built.
Finally, we must remember that these results are typically provided for aircraft in a "clean" configuration meaning
that no external weapons, pods, or fuel tanks are carried and the aircraft is in its most aerodynamic state. The
carriage of external stores significantly increases the drag an aircraft experiences while also greatly limiting
its maneuverability.

With that disclaimer aside, below are the most accurate maximum level speeds currently available for a number of
world aircraft. Note that the maximum speeds are provided at some altitude since aircraft can fly faster the
higher they go (due to decreased air density). A more objective comparison is the Mach number, a nondimensional
value, although the Mach number is dependent on altitude (i.e. Mach 1 at sea level is 15% faster than Mach 1 at
50,000 ft).